Busting Mortgage Myths

Lately I’ve been doing some Q&As with Balmain locals, answering their questions about mortgages. I’ve noticed a number of mortgage myths and misconceptions that keep coming up, so I thought I’d address the 8 most common:

1. Once I find a good rate, I’m sorted for the life of my loan. Lenders can move their variable mortgage rates at any time, so a loan that’s competitive today might not be competitive in the future. It is a good idea to visit your mortgage broker once a year to get a review and see if your rate is still competitive.
2. It’s not worth refinancing a mortgage for an improvement of half a percent. If you have a $350,000, 30-year loan with an interest rate of 5.24 per cent, and you refinanced to a rate of 4.74, you would save $107 a month and $38,480 over the life of the loan. The average mortgage in Balmain is much larger then this so you could image the possibilities!
3. A competitive rate doesn’t really matter because the Reserve Bank controls home loan rates. The RBA adjusts the cash rate from time to time but each lender can change their rates as they see fit.
4. I can’t refinance a fixed-rate loan. Not true. You can refinance a fixed rate loan but you’ll be hit with a break cost, which is compensation for the loss the bank will incur when you leave. Weigh up the break costs versus the potential savings and see what you come up with. As your local mortgage broker in the Balmain area, I can easily do these sums for you and see if you would come out ahead.
5. I want to use a mortgage broker but what about the fees? Mortgage broking fees are paid by the lender, not by you. A mortgage broker finds you the best loan at the most competitive rate.
6. I’m too old to refinance my mortgage. Age discrimination is illegal. A bank looks at your repayment ability, so they’re looking at your income and the loan term. If you’re close to retirement, you can look at shorter loan terms or alternative exit strategies.
7. Many locals in Balmain are self employed or business owners and say they pay a higher mortgage rate because of this. If you’re self-employed and can’t produce your tax returns, you may be offered a low documentation loan which can have higher interest rates. If your financials and tax returns are in order, you qualify for the same rate as a regular PAYG employee.
8. 8. Banks keep secret files on my credit history. Wrong. All lenders use a credit reporting system to check your history. Know what they know by finding out your history at www.mycreditfile.com.au.